Brazil Amazonia: Amazon Survival Tour - Living in the Jungle

Don't come looking for hotels with whirlpools or palm tree-lined beaches on this adventure. This trip is for true adventure-seekers who want to discover the Amazon rainforest in its natural state and survive it! We advise that, due to its strenuous nature, this program is expressly for physically fit people seeking extreme experiences in the rainforest. On long hikes through unknown territory, expeditioners will carry their own baggage, water and hammocks.

Survival Amazonas - 12 days - Living with and in the jungle from/to Manaus

with local, english-speaking guide

Don't come looking for hotels with whirlpools or palm tree-lined beaches on this adventure. This trip is for true adventure-seekers who want to discover the Amazon rainforest in its natural state and survive it! We advise that, due to its strenuous nature, this program is expressly for physically fit people seeking extreme experiences in the rainforest. On long hikes through unknown territory, expeditioners will carry their own baggage, water and hammocks.

What to expect:

Orientation in unknown territories of the Amazon. Specialities of the Brazilian rainforest. Explanations on wild indigenous medicinal plants. A diet of foods offered by the forest. Preparation and conservation of our own food. Instruction in types of wood and sites for building fires. Fire-starting methods free of lighters, matches and other artificial sources. Construction of our own accommodations.

Not scared yet so than come and experience it yourself!

The program in short:

Day 1: Arrival and overnight stay in Manaus

Day 2: Transfer to Turtle Lodge

Days 3-9: Overnight outdoor stay in the jungle

Day 10: Turtle Lodge

Day 11: Transfer to Manaus

Day 12: Flight back or other relaxing alternative program

The itinerary of the tour can change and be adapted due to weather conditions and water level. This tour can be done throughout the whole year. This said, between October-December water level can be that low that access to the small rivers and drinking water can get difficult. We recommend doing this tour from January-September.

Details of the tour:

DAY 1: ARRIVAL IN MANAUS

Upon arrival at Manaus airport, expeditioners will be picked up and brought to Hotel Go Inn to stay for one night.

Hotel Go Inn is located in the city center of Manaus. The central location makes it easy to discover the highlights of Manaus, like the famous Teatro Amazonas, the harbour with the historical Mercado Municipal public market and the "Museo dos Indios." All these sights are within easy walking distance of the hotel.

DAY 2: TRANSFER TO TURTLE LODGE

After breakfast one of our guides will pick you up early to visit the Ceasa river port. There we will visit the market and habour before moving on to Turtle Lodge. Via speed boat to Careiro, we will pass the "Meeting of the Waters" where the Rio Solimões and the Rio Negro form the Amazon River.

The Amazon River, or Rio Amazonas, of South America is, by volume, the largest river in the world, with a total river flow greater than the next top ten largest rivers flowing into the ocean combined. The Amazon River accounts for approximately 1/5 of the world's total river flow and the largest drainage basin in the world. It is the extremely wet climate of this basin that supports the rainforest. In perpetual dispute, the river's length contends with the Nile for the title of longest river in the world. Because of its vast dimensions, it is sometimes called The River Sea (o rio-mar in Portuguese), and at no point is it crossed by bridges. The Amazon Rainforest, the largest rainforest in the world, begins at the eastern edge of the Andes. Of major ecological significance, its biomass is capable of absorbing enormous amounts of carbon dioxide. Conservation of the Amazon Rainforest has been a major issue in recent years. The Amazon River, as well as its hundreds of tributaries, flows slowly across the rainforest landscape with an extremely shallow gradient sending it out to sea. Manaus, 1,600 km (1,000 mi) from the Atlantic, is only 44 m (144 ft) above sea level. From Careiro village, we will take a van 50 minutes along highway BR 319 making a stop along the way to see water lilies (Vitoria Regia) and ultimately reaching the Mamori River. After around 40 more minutes of travel by boat, we'll reach our base camp - Turtle Lodge.

After lunch we will take a canoe trip for bird and dolphin watching.

We will stay overnight at Turtle Lodge.

DAY 3: LEAVING TURTLE LODGE FOR THE JUNGLE

After break, we will gather our things, leave Turtle Lodge and start our survival trip into the jungle. The next 7 nights will be spent overnight in the jungle. We will finish our trek and start to set up camp at about 17:00h each day.

Over the next few days, we will take long treks and canoe trips through the rainforest. We will learn to orientate ourselves and move about in unkown Amazon territory. Away from civilisation, we will discover the nature of the Amazon, learn about wild medicinal plants, see various animals - some dangerous, a few deadly.

Our guide will show us how to handle wild animals. We might see an anaconda or a tarantula.

We will learn which plants are fit to eat and which are inedible. We will learn to make fire without matches or other artificial sources, and we will learn how to prepare our own food.At around 17:00, we will stop and set up camp to stay the first night in the jungle.

DAY 4: ORGANIZING FOOD IN THE AMAZON RAINFOREST

The next morning we will wake up to the sounds of the awakening jungle. We will gather our things and continue our trek.

Today our mission will be to collect, hunt or catch food for lunch and dinner. Our local guide will teach us how. The guide will also teach us which plants we can eat and which we'd better not. So hopefully we will have a good lunch and dinner today.

At about 17:00, we will stop to set up camp for the second overnight stay in the jungle.

DAY 5: WATCHING LOCAL BIRDS AND CHANGING RIVERS

At about 6:00, we will set out in hopes of seeing some exotic birds. From time to time, it will be possible that a butterfly as large as 20 centimeters crosses our path. During our trek, we will move to another river and cross some smaller ones along the way. In the late afternoon, we'll set up camp to stay overnight in the jungle.

DAY 6: SPEAR FISHING AND WATCHING NOCTURNAL ANIMALS

After breakfast, we will canoe in small creeks to look for anything possible to eat so that we will have a rich, delicious lunch and dinner.

After we have set up camp, we will canoe again before going to bed in order to see nocturnal animals and do some spear fishing. If we are lucky, we may catch some of the 2.500 different kinds of fish present in the Amazon. Acra would be just perfect for lunch tomorrow.

DAY 7: SMALL RIVERS AND PIRANHAS

Today we will make a special canoe trip into the Igapó and Igarapés to discover the small tributaries, to explore Amazon flood areas, and to see birds, sloths, insects, and maybe monkeys.

In the afternoon, we will try to catch a Tucunaré, one of the tastiest fish in Brazil, or a Piranha or Peak bass for dinner.

DAY 8: BLACK HOWLER MONKEYS AND RED MACAWS

We will start out on a sunrise trip at around 5:00 to see the black howler monkey, the black capped capuchin, and some red macaws. Many birds are just starting to feed at this time.

The six species of howler monkeys are among the largest in the Americas. The length from the top of the head to the end of the torso is 22-36 inches; their tails run 23-36 inches, and adults weigh from 9-22 pounds. Their hair is coarse and their faces are hairless. Males are usually visibly larger than females. As the name suggests, the males are black in color, but the females are brown. Many experts believe this distinction is for survival, helping the female to blend into the colors of the forest. Offspring of both sexes are brown at birth. As they mature, the male's fur turns black.

Hopefully, we will see a red macaw. The geographic range of this species is limited to South and Central America; found in rainforest canopies, the red macaw is common in the Amazon basin. These birds are brightly colored, ranging from deep scarlet to yellow and blue. The red macaw is an icon of sorts; many have seen them in pictures, but few have the chance to see one personally. Afternoon activities will be your choice.

DAY 9: PINK DOLPHINS

After a hike in the morning, we will try to make contact with the famous pink dolphins found in the area in the afternoon. With some luck, we might even be able to feed them. Tonight we'll spend ur last night out in the jungle.

DAY 10: RUBBER AND MANIOC PLANTATION AND PARTY

After breakfast we'll gather our things and leave camp and the wildlife for civilisation. With our heads full of Amazon experiences, its animals and plants, we will return to our starting point - Turtle Lodge.

On the way to the lodge we will visit a rubber and manioc plantation before we celebrate at Turtle Lodge with traditional Brazilian barbecue, known as churrasco, and the famous sugarcane-based cocktail, caipirinha.

DAY 11: TRANSFER BACK TO MANAUS

After breakfast we say goodbye to the rainforest and the wildlife and go back to Manaus to check in again at Hotel Go Inn..

DAY 12: FLIGHT BACK OR OTHER RELAXING ALTERNATIVE

After breakfast we will take you to the Manaus Airport..

Alternatively we can arrange different relaxing programs in Salvador da Bahia or elsewhere in Brazil.

SERVICES INCLUDED:

MANAUS:

Airport transfer in/out

2 x B&B at Hotel Go Inn

TURTLE LODGE/JUNGLE:

Transfer from Manaus to the base camp at Turtle Lodge in/out as described